My Anti-Resolution: 100 Days of Stress-Less (and more laugh, smile and other happy stuff) Moments.

This article was written by a member of the SheKnows Community. It has not been edited, vetted or reviewed by our editorial staff, and any opinions expressed herein are the writer’s own.

I am ready and, oh boy, in need of practicing some stress reducing behaviors each day! While I am looking forward to the results, I’m a little nervous about publically chronicling this very genuine challenge I have issued myself. I am a single mom, business owner, home owner….and the truth is that I am a tinsy bit Type A. So, while I am fairly content, pretty darn productive and I am pretty spot on when it comes to eating well (85% of the time!) and exercising regularly……… my occasional downfall in living well is that I sorta sweat the small stuff.

Me--celebrating turning 35 last month. If I am going to be like a fine wine and get better with age, I better tackle this now!

So, by practicing stress reducing behaviors, my ANTI-resolution will put me on a path of finding a means to better managing stress, to more mindful mothering, feeling more peaceful at the end of the day and, my favorite part, having more fun! (I figure in the absence of anxiety, I will just automatically have more fun, right?)

To clarify—I am not trying to remove the stressors in my life. I am simply going to make attempts at improving my quality of life and health by doing something each day to DE-STRESS my mind and body.

I fully understand the health ramifications of NOT handling stress well. And to be honest, I go through phases of perfectly practicing what I preach in this area of personal wellness. But then I go through times of ‘falling off the wagon’ (ah..hemm…like the last 6 months). So, it is high time that this important area of taking care of myself remains just as consistent as my eating well and exercising habits.

There it is—the ANTI resolution: For 100 days I will update you on my progress of a daily practice of STRESS-LESS (laugh more) moments.

The idea is to practice mind and body relaxing/rejuvenating activities on a regular basis so that my health, daily experiences and eventually my natural tendency is to feel more peace. Hey--I am not getting rid of the things I love like my kids, my business, my home, the fact that I am a widow....so I better learn to be a little more laid back when those blessings are causing me angst!

This is no phase (like most resolutions)…it is a journey that I have decided to go on regardless of the ups and downs. This habit is here to stay--which is precisely what makes it an ANTI-resolution. This is a long term decision and not a temporary phase to be left at the wayside by March. It will not be perfect but instead of quitting when I hit a setback, I will view that as a learning experience and part of the process.

Let me reiterate how important this challenge to me personally by stating this: Developing stress management skills and regularly practicing them could be the very key to better physical and emotional health that I am missing—and you could be too. Regular exercise and healthy eating are undoubtedly of utmost importance. But, stress management and coping skills improves heart health, hormone balance, decreases junk food eating triggers in the brain (a topic for another article!) and decreases the risk of many illnesses from the common cold to some cancers…The bonus I am looking most forward to: I want to feel calmer, happier and less overwhelmed—for me and for my children.

My greatest inspiration for being a happier, less stressed lady are these two girls ringing in the New Year! Here's to you, Girls!

I don’t want to get to the end of the day feeling frazzled and exhausted anymore or at least as often as I do now. And when I do, I want to be better at dealing with that. I want to more often feel content..happy…relaxed…and I want those things to spill over into how I mother my children, run my business, interact with friends and how I feel at the close of each day. I figure the only way to do that is to start practicing the things that will deliver those feelings!

Will practicing stress-less/laugh more activities on a daily basis have the effect I am looking for? Is this possible? Come along with me and see what happens!